Our STEM Holiday Gift Guide

We are a science-loving family! I’m both proud and excited that my 4 sons love Science, Technology, Engineering and Math because I do too! This is also sometimes called STEAM. Why they do or don’t add the A is a mystery to me. When we start shopping for Christmas I focus on STEM gifts for them. Things that won’t get tossed aside a day after the Holiday is over and items that will also contribute to our homeschooling journey. Both educational, interesting and fun!

Here are some great STEM Holiday items we are looking at for gifts this year.

Our STEM Holiday Gift Guide was created with real items my 4 sons picked out online and in catalogs! They range in ages 3 to 8 and have found some of the most awesome items available. Through catalogs, online shops and seen in store products…I know each and everything here will be useful and educational and won’t be tossed aside shortly after the Holiday is over! I also wanted to invest in some more expensive pieces and give each child just a few instead of getting multiple smaller gifts that they won’t like as much.

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1.Arckit

This 80 piece set will make all of the builders in our home happy! My oldest is a budding architect and I love to find toys that foster his interest! It has reusable components and multiple building options. There are many kits from beginner to expert! Prices vary but they are reasonable priced for the pieces, this one running just under $40.

2. HearthSong Light Up Plug-In Topographical Globe

We have looked at a lot of globes! I wanted one that lights up but has a plug, no batteries, and shows the landscape with raised areas. This one fits the bill! It’s 12″ and has a detailed 3D representation – features clearly labeled continents, oceans, National and political boundaries and Capitals, approx. Population, map legend…

3. A Real Microscope.

We have had some of the toy versions and they just don’t do what we need them to do. This one has a great range and accessories for looking at everything that interests them from cells to bugs! Plus, I wanted one that uses two eyepieces. Have you ever tried to get your child to look at something with just one eye? It’s far more enjoyable to skip that frustration and find a microscope that will last until college with two eyepieces!

4. Sphero BOLT App Enabled Robot

We love robots. We have several app-controlled and also bought some kits we spend hours assembling and have found that we prefer the pre-built robots that work with smartphones. There are so many this year but we want to add the newest Sphero robot, the Sphero BOLT to our collection. We already have the Sphero bb8 and bb9 + R2-D2. We also wanted to try out this robot my son found in the catalog!

5. Coding LEGO Boost Robot

We saw this robot passing through the aisle at Target months back and it’s been on my mind since! Definitely going under the tree for my 8-year-old! It has over 840 pieces and works with the LEGO Boost app available in the app store. It combines THREE of our favorite things: Robots, LEGOs and coding!

6. Storm Station: Galileo Thermometer + Barometer/Storm Glass

I don’t know about your kids but mine love the weather! These items help with weather prediction by adjusting to barometric pressure and temperature. Plus, they’re pretty cool to look at and definitely bring a scientific feel to the room they’re stationed in. I will admit to finding these really cool too..

7. Magnetic Building Blocks

Brand matters! There are some really inexpensive magnetic building blocks and they’re a gamble. We have a bin full of these and add to it every year! I know they’re durable and there are days when my boys will open the box of these and literally play all day. Building, designing and having a lot of magnet fun! I really can not explain how much my kids love these…I’m so happy we have them and would love to have a bathtub full! We’ve bought kits but find that they just build what they want anyway…so the basics are the way to go!

8. Bit Coding Robot

This tiny robot is full of amazement and STEM learning fun! It has coding activities plus it feels like a little pet. Cute, educational and a great addition to our STEM Holiday Gift Guide!

9. Educational Rocks

My 3-year-old is obsessed with rocks. Every place we go I find him searching for cool rocks! I’m excited to find so many educational rock kits available with great samples and materials to fuel his rock learning fun. He can carry it around and to Gramdna’s to show off his collection of rocks and minerals!

10. JIMU App Controlled Robot

My kids have talked nonstop about this robot since they saw it. They believe it’s a real-life Wall-E robot they can play with! It comes with 3D 360 degree animated instructions which is great for parents who help and kids who build independently. Downfall? The reviews on the app are not great. We will be giving it a go anyway!